Groundhog, you make me sad....

So.... since I am a school teacher, I now have to pay attention to all holidays, such as groundhog day.  We read books about groundhog day, and make predictions on whether we think the groundhog will see his shadow.  Overwelmingly, my 4 students predicted he WOULD see his shadow...and boy, were they right.  So I know it doesn't totally predict the weather, but it is a cute story, and right now, is fitting the current forecast.

I feel several emotions about cold and snow.  The first...is happiness....lots of cold, and lots of snow= more snow days.  Our district is predicting we will have at least 3 more that will make our make up days count as two so we won't be stuck in school as long. 

The next emotion is sadness.  Anytime it snows...my progress with Tonka goes backwards.  You see, when it snows, I cannot drive my car out to see him (I will be stuck in the snow).  Then, when the snow DOES melt, I have a mud pit to deal with for at least a week.  I am just now able to go out again (since last week) and I STILL have to wear muck boots to survive.  Last week is the first time I have been able to work him since Christmas Eve...REALLY....THAT is how bad the snow and ice has been here in Missouri. 

The first day back in the round pen was not pretty.  I went to the Wahl Walkabout Tour with Clinton Anderson about 2 weeks ago, so I was anxious to start working with him again.  Tonka unfortunately, felt differently.  He decided to try 3 times to pull the rope out of my hand as I was lunging him.  So...he had to run. A lot. Each time he did it, I sent him on a full canter around the pen...until he was BEGGING me to let him stop.  Third time was finally the charm that wore him out enough to get him to knock it off.  Then the rest of our work out was excellent.

Today, I went out again and walked him up and down the driveway, trying different things along the way, then walked him through the pasture where he always tries to bolt on me while riding.  Once I get a better rope halter, I will be lunging him in this pasture so he remembers I am still in charge, even there.  I will let you know how that goes.

On another note, I am extremely frustrated that his progress is not farther along.  I paid a trainer to come and work with him in the fall and really don't feel like he came much and didn't do much with him.  I realize I still have to do groundwork with him and will always be reviewing the skills, but I don't feel that Tonka was ridden enough in the pasture to truly qualify as "green broke."  I actually feel like I wasted $300 and got screwed.  Now I am stuck...doing all the work again myself...which would be fine if I weren't so inexperienced....really he needs to be trained right...but I am up a creek as I can't afford anymore training.

If anyone who reads this has any advice for this situation, I'd love to hear it....   I just want my horse to be ready for spring trail riding and right now, he is far from ready.  :-/

Tonka update!

Tonka and I have now moved our riding training outside of the round pen.  We only go into the pen to warm up, or if Tonka is being naughty and needs to run some laps.  I am toughening up on him and boosting my confidence, as he has a strong desire to be herd sour, and wants very much to decide where we go...

The thing is, he has to listen to me...and we are still establishing that fact.

Before the snow last week, we spent two days in the pasture trotting in circles.  Why?  Because he wanted to bolt and go where HE wanted to go, regardless of the turn signals I was giving him.  So every time he tried to bolt in HIS direction, I turned his head...and we trotted in circles.  Horses do not bolt well with their heads turned to the side.  At first, this was extremely scary for me, as I am still working on keeping my bottom in the saddle....as well as posting while he trots.  Tonka doesn't understand what I'm doing yet with the posting, and as soon as he feels me do it, he stops moving! 

Regardless, we are working through it.  I wish I would have paid the $100 and signed him up for the Clinton Anderson tour.  He would have been a perfect example for the walkabout tour in Kansas City.  Fits the perfect mold.  Stubborn Appaloosa.  But oh, do I LOVE him!!!

More adventure posts to come...and I have NOT fallen off yet!  Crossing my fingers it stays that way!

Progress!

I just had to write on here about my wonderful horse, Tonka.  We have made some serious progress in the last few weeks and have really become bonded as horse and rider.  Tonka does not like anyone else, but me, on his back (which is an appaloosa trait).  It is unfortunate, but he is extremely well behaved for me, which is all I care about for now. 

Tonight he was fighting the bit on the right side, so once we worked through it,  we decided he was bored and set up an obstacle course for him.  Wow did he LOVE that!  Out of all the times I have ridden him, I have never had him that tuned into me!  It was WAY cool!  We even trotted through the course some, but still have to work on how fluidly we move when we trot (mainly me...staying planted in the saddle and not bouncing).

We are spending most of our time still in the round pen, just working on our skills together, and I am trying to build confidence.  When he gets into the pasture, he wants to take off on me when he goes through the mud or gets too far from the other horses.  Although this is smooth, I am NOT ready for it yet and don't want to do it.  (And I didn't TELL him to go faster, so it becomes a control issue as well.) 

We are learning though...and I have great optimism for what the spring will bring!  We will continue working, through the winter!  :)

Here are some pics of him all saddled up!

It's been a while

Since Baby passed away, I have not been motivated to write here...and have been swamped with photography. In fact, I'm taking a tiny break from editing right now to write. Thanks for the many kind words and prayers in our time of pain. I am still healing and still miss that dog more than I ever knew I would. She truly touched my heart.

First things first.... Scrapbooking.

I attended the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention during the first week of October. It was awesome...and overwhelming. SO much stuff! And I learned about many new things that I just might share on here when I don't have photos calling my name. I will say that the most fun I had was the send off crop- I met two great new ladies who scrapped with me and even shared their dinner... It was awesome! Can't wait for next year!

Next thing...the horse.

The horse is BROKE! He is still learning little things...and that I am still the boss on his back, but, he is done with training. Now I have to be trained to properly ride. I've already made huge improvements...but man, riding is HARD. You see people do it, and it looks easy, but to do it correctly?? It requires lots of practice and SKILL. I am getting there...and can't wait to share some stories.

Last thing....the other animals...

Penny, Tory and Felix are all doing quite well! Penny got a strange illness a few weeks ago in which she kept me up all night with vomiting. But...$250 later after a trip to the pet hospital, she is all better. She had a bad infection, and I would have had to treat her for her to get better. But she feels great now. Felix will NOT stop growing! He is so big now! It's hard to imagine...just a short time ago, he was a tiny kitten!

Well..I will update again sometime soon. That's all for now.

Goodbye, Baby, I love you.

I love you, Baby

September 12, 1998- July 31, 2009


Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

-Author unknown
http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm

Our family dog Baby has been battling a tumor for several months and finally got to the point where she was very uncomfortable. It was a heartbreaking decision because she kept trying to be happy and perky. I took her to get her a puppy cone from Sheridans today as a last day treat and she sat in the front seat like she was the happiest dog in the world. But we knew she was in pain. My parents and sister and brother took her to the lake, her favorite place. They took her to the vet there and put her to sleep. She will be buried in her favorite spot at the lake, with a special stepping stone we made her. I love you Baby- you were a wonderful dog and a major highlight of my teenage years and adulthood. I will miss you terribly. I hope to meet again someday. I hope you are no longer in pain and have many squirrels to chase and can sunbathe all day. I am so sorry I couldn't save you.

Success and Not...

Well the last two weeks have been interesting. The weeds have been out of control in the round pen, so we have been doing more lunge line work and handling work (such as hoof picking, staying BACK instead of crowding me when I stop leading, backing up, turning his head when the lead rope is pulled to each side, and getting him to face up.

It seems for every good day of training we have, we have a rough day the next. Certain days, Tonka will work really hard and totally improve his skills, then other days, he will be SUPER testy, try to run me over, step on my feet, and dig his heels in when I ask him to move.

On the lunge line, I have had to resort to a knotted rope halter to get Tonka to quit trying to bolt away. He got away one day when we were still using the nylon halter and now tries it every time he is lunged. I will NOT let him get away again though. He is favoring his right side, in the sense that he doesn't want to run when his right side is facing out. This side is hard for everything. I'm really trying to work that side more, but he REALLY rebels when I make him turn that side out.

The other major thing we have been doing is getting Tonka to leave personal space and back up. He wants to be practically on top of you or running over you, which is extremely disrespectful and unsafe. He also is still wanting to turn his hind end at you occasionally, rather than keeping the two eyes on you. The part that makes this training difficult is, up until recently, he hasn't been responding to the light gestures with the whip stick- he actually has to be hit, pretty good, before he will move. Or in the case of backing up, the rope has to be shook REALLY hard to get him to back up. And tell me if this is odd.... there are days that when you apply pressure, he applies it right back!!!

So it's obvious this is going to be a difficult road. Hopefully soon, I will have the money to have some professional training done. I feel if I keep working with him though, and educating myself more, we can get quite a bit done. He does show many improvements already. Any advice is always appreciated!

Tonka

I have recently purchased my first horse, an appaloosa named Tonka. For those that know me, you know that I've loved horses my entire life. I thought I knew a lot about them...but I am finding out I just BARELY scratched the surface!

I enjoy a challenge though, and with some guidance and training videos, I'm learning quickly how to be a leader with my horse and train him to do what I need him to do. This summer, I plan on working him in the round pen as extensively as I can, and then in the fall, sending him off to be professionally broken in Oklahoma.

We will see how much ground work I can get done myself with the help of Randy, the landowner where Tonka lives, and Clinton Anderson training videos...wow that dude talks a lot! He's great...but I feel like I have to watch each video twice just to catch the video and audio.

Here's a little bit of background info, what I've received so far, from his landowner, Randy.

Tonka was brought to Randy's property 3 years ago when he was still a baby. His owners were in agreement to pay $50 a month to Randy to keep him there. (They paid for two months). They were working with Tonka, trying to get him broken themselves. They'd come out several times a week and run him in the round pen. One day, his owner ran him in the round pen for 10 minutes, threw a saddle on him, and then jumped on him. Tonka of course bucked and knocked the guy off. (Can't say I blame him). The owner broke 3 ribs and got kicked in the head as Tonka ran away. Needless to say, the owner never returned. He abandoned Tonka on that day and Randy continued to care for him as he was his own.

Next door to Randy, a friend of mine has two horses she is trying to work with to get ready to show. She caught up with me when she was inquiring to have some portraits done of her horses. (www.ccombsphotography.com) I was amazed at the fact she was still working with horses, and she invited me to help out. The land is only 5 minutes from my house so I began visiting every other day to help socialize the horses. One day, I saw Tonka and she informed me he was for sale. I debated for about a week and did research to figure out all of the logistics and if I could afford a horse. I decided I could and told Randy I wanted to buy him.

I immediately started working with him and try to go out to see him at least every other day. In one week, I could put him in the round pen, get him running, and within a minute he would turn his ear and eye towards me. I could stop him, and he would come to me immediately and follow wherever I went. He even would back up with me! I also worked on pulling his head to left or right until he would give. He now does this quite well and will often hold his head in the position with his chin resting at my elbow.

My health took a sudden fall two weeks ago and currently the doctors believe I have Crohn's Disease. I have been extremely depressed as I have not been able to get out there as much now and Tonka was making good, quick progress. I go in for a barrium test on Monday to hopefully confirm or ditch the current diagnosis and figure out good treatments. It's changed my diet immensly and I have lost 10 pounds already. It's good because I wanted to lose weight, but the diet sucks. I keep craving foods I used to eat and have to keep telling myself no.

I've been slowly trying to resume my evening visits to Tonka. Last night I went out and picked out his feet for the first time. He is onery and has made every "new" task a pain. He pulled his foot away or wouldn't pick it up so many times.... ug.... but I stuck with it and by the end had much more success. This will definitely become something we do A LOT more often. Now I know how to do it!

I plan on working him in the round pen this weekend with a saddle on. I will not be adding weight for a while yet, but want to see how he does. I also need to get him to go through each gait in the round pen so we can establish that I am still in control, no matter what his speed. So far, I can only get him to trot. If any of you experienced horse people have advice, please let me know.

There is a basic run down of Tonka. I will try to post some nice pictures of him in the next few weeks!